In the mid-1960s, Ferrari wanted to go racing in Formula Two. The rub was, they needed a two-liter engine, and they needed to produce it to the tune of 500 units in order to placate the FIA.
The FIA required the engine to be production-based and to have no more than six cylinders. Ferrari, as a company, was not producing enough engines per year, let alone enough cars to qualify them. So Ferrari turned to Fiat to scale up production of the engines. The engine, designed by Vittorio Jano, was entrusted to Aurelio Lampredi to engineer for road and series production. The engine, like all other six-cylinder engines since the ’50s, was called a Dino.
With all these engines being built, here was a chance for Fiat to develop a new sports car for itself. The company produced not one, but two: a 2+2 Coupe penned by Bertone and a two-seater Spider designed by Pininfarina. Somehow, the Spider had more of the Ferrari mystique and charm, with lines and curves more similar to its 12-cylinder fratelli maggiori.
Both cars carried the same two-liter, all-aluminum, DOHC V6 mated to a 5-speed gearbox. At the same time, the engine also found its way into the new Ferrari 206 Dino; and as if by magic, the Ferrari engine was rated at 180 bhp, while the same engine in the Fiat was rated at 160 bhp…hmm…even though all engines were built by Fiat workers in Turin on the same production line, with no specific knowledge of their final destination!
The Fiat Dino became the first Fiat to employ four overhead camshafts and a limited-slip differential as part of a standard offering. It was also the first production car to have an electronic ignition system—a gigantic one, but the first! It also featured independent front suspension with wishbones and coil springs, a live rear axle and disc brakes at all four corners.
The early Spiders had rather cheap interiors. A short time into production this was rectified with a wood-rimmed steering wheel and a new wood-trimmed dashboard. There were very few options offered. You could have a radio, leather upholstery, metallic paint and, for the Spider, a vinyl-covered hardtop.
Flying under the radar for many years, these marvelous little open cars are just now getting the notoriety and credit they deserve.
Other than the four letters in the middle of the steering wheel telling you what you’re in, your mind tells you different. Full complement of Veglia gauges, check. Wood wheel and dash reminiscent of a 275 GTB or a 330 GTC, check. Pininfarina logo, check. You’re in a Ferrari. And the mystery continues with a turn of the key, whereupon a very familiar Ferrari sound starts emanating from somewhere in front of you. That lovely little six-cylinder symphony starts a performance that you want to conduct with your right foot.
The car is light and well-balanced, and it is just the right size to chuck about on a small country road, but at the same time it’s large enough to take you on a long drive in relative comfort. The steering is so delicate, yet precise, you just have to think where you want it to go and there you are. The gearbox? Like butta! You don’t feel like you are in a 48-year-old machine. The brakes do their job with no drama, just cool efficiency. The Fiat and Ferrari Dino’s DNA become obvious when you start looking at the fender lines of both cars—you can see how they are related, both on the surface and under the Pininfarina skin.
The word Fiat in a red circle, instead of a yellow rectangle with the name Dino, has kept this auto from the stratospheric prices of the 206 and 246, but it still has that Ferrari lineage, that undeniable sense of power and elegance. You’re in a car that hugs both the road and you at the same time. You’re in a joyous Italian fairytale that tells you its story as the miles wind along.
Thanks to Nick Soprano and Motorclassic & Competition for the ride in the Ferrari… I mean Fiat!
Specifications
Engine: 6 cylinder DOHC Carburetors 3 Weber 40DCN14 displacement 121.3 cubic inches Bore: 3.39 inches Stroke: 2.24 inches Compression 9:1 Torque 126 lbs-ft @6000rpm Horsepower 60 bhp Gearbox 5-speed manual Length 161.8 inches Width 67.3 inches Height 50 inches Wheelbase 89.8 inches Front track 54.5 inches Rear track 53.1 inches Weight 2579 pounds
Performance
Top speed 129 mph 0-60 mph 7.8 seconds Average Fuel Consumption 14.9 mpg
Valuation
Excellent $103,000
Good $95,000
Average $75,000
